Just Love Me
by feliciaaaaaaa
Summary: This takes place after Jess leaves and tells Rory that he loves her, but before he returns and asks Rory to run away with him. Will Jess and Rory ever find a way to love?
1. Chapter 1

**Side note:** Rory is currently a freshman at Yale. This takes place after Jess leaves and tells Rory that he loves her, but before he returns and asks Rory to run away with him.

Rory clutched her cell phone in her hands, breathing slowly in and out as she waited for the phone to pick up on the other end. She didn't know why she had woken up in the middle of the night with a sudden urge to make the phone call…she just knew that she had to do it. Paris was muttering in her sleep and Rory was just trying to contain her nerves without making a disturbance.

She had been thinking a lot about Jess' declaration of love a few weeks before. When it had happened, she had felt confused, and maybe even a little intrigued. Seeing him after he had left her had brought back so much angry emotions. Rory wanted to be the one to leave him; to make him feel the pain that he had caused her. So, she was cold and distant towards him when she had seen him in the town square.

"You know, I have actually thought about this moment. A lot. What would Jess say to me if I ever saw him again? I mean, he just took off, no note, no call, nothing, how could he explain that? And then a year goes by. No word, nothing…so he couldn't possibly have a good excuse for that, right? I have imagined hundreds of different scenarios with a hundred different great last parting lines, and I have to tell you that I am actually very curious to see which way this is going to go."

Jess had asked her to sit down, but Rory didn't want to. She felt if she sat down, she would lose her confidence and fall in love with him all over again.

"No. You wanted to talk, so talk. What do you have to say to me?" Rory looked into is eyes and waited for him to say he was sorry. It was what she had been waiting to hear for so long. To see the words tumbling from his rosy and perfect lips would be like ten cups of Luke's coffee with a Danish to match.

She could see his eyes soften in the light and his mouth slightly part to voice his words. "I love you." Jess stated simply, his voice cracking a bit. _Wait…what? _ Rory had thought. It was the words she had dreamt of secretly in her room at night when Lorelai was sleeping soundly upstairs. Rory never thought she would actually hear them uttered in real time, here and now.

She didn't know what to do but stare at Jess, and before she knew it, he had gotten right into his car and driven away…just like that. So for the past two weeks, she had tried picking up the phone to call him, but found herself feeling scared each time.

Luke had been the one that had given Rory Jess' contact information because he had called Luke to tell him everything that had happened. He had told Luke that he had never said "I love you" to anyone in his entire life and it felt weird coming out of his otherwise "dirty mouth." It had made Rory feel special hearing that from Luke. Well, from Lorelai. Everyone knew that she could never keep a secret.

Now, Rory could hear his voice answer the phone. "Hello?" She could hear sleep in his voice, and she suddenly felt bad calling him at three in the morning.

"Jess?" Rory spoke softly, as not to wake Paris.

Jess suddenly began to shuffle around. Rory could hear him clear his throat and she could picture him running his hands though his wonderful, dark hair.

"Rory? What's wrong?" It's funny that he immediately thought that the only reason that she had called him was because something was wrong.

"Nothing's wrong."

"Oh, then why did you call?" Jess asked with curiosity.

"I…." she began to say.

"You…" Jess went on.

"I…miss you." Rory said into the phone. She closed her eyes and thought that she sounded like an idiot.

Jess sighed and paused for a minute before speaking. "Rory." He said her name simply, but the tone of his voice implied that his feelings for her were still there, and they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Rory smiled on the other end of the line. "It's me."

"Rory. Go to bed." Jess said softly.

Just as she was about to ask Jess why, the phone clicked and Jess was gone. He had hung up on her, clearly not thinking that what he had done was just like what he had always done before—leave.


	2. Chapter 2

Rory woke up the next morning with a headache. Her head peaked out from underneath her warm blankets and the sun made her crawl right back underneath them. She groaned and rolled onto her right side, and told herself that today was not going to be a good day. Why? Because the night before had been an emotional blow to her fragile ego. Rory hated that Jess had hung up on her…she hated when anyone hung up on her, even Michel. She closed her eyes for a few seconds before getting up. The entire day was back to back with classes and Rory was looking forward to it. Hours of classes meant hours of thinking about something other than what she was currently thinking about. Which was Jess. She should be thinking about other things, things like her future, Stars Hollow, and getting a cup of coffee to start her morning.

Shuffling out of her room with a sort of scowl plastered onto her face, Rory walked into the main room and saw Paris sitting at her craft corner. Paris was making friendship bracelets today and clearly, Paris had made one for her.

"It's pink and brown. I tried to make it mean something, you know like symbolic? But pink and brown string was the only one left in the bottom of the craft bin." Paris had said when she handed Rory the bracelet. Rory had to admit; the bracelet had come out nicely. Maybe a craft corner was what she needed in order to get over this hump she had so neatly parked herself on.

"Thanks." Rory mumbled as she shuffled to the couch and plopped down.

Paris eyed her from her desk. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"It has to be something. You never look like a wounded bird. You usually look like a person that's happy. All the time." Paris gathered some more string from the bin. It was still pink and brown.

"Okay, fine. I'll tell you. But...you can't tell anyone else. Not even my mom." Rory said seriously. It was no secret that Lorelai wasn't in the Jess Mariano fan club. Lorelai took back her membership the day that Jess had left and Rory had wondered why she hadn't done the same.

Paris raised her eyebrows quickly. "Something that Lorelai can't find out about? This must be good." Paris immediately abandoned her corner and ran over to where Rory was sitting, taking a seat next to her with ease. "Go." She prompted.

Sighing, Rory told Paris everything. The I Love You part and The Phone call part. When she was finished, Paris looked at Rory with a hint of disgust.

"That's pathetic."

"What?" Rory had asked, feeling a little hurt by Paris' comments.

"Jess is an imbecile. He left you, Rory. Left. So what if he loves you? He had so much time to tell you. He was probably running on endorphins from chasing you around town like a five year old." Paris got up and went back to her corner, this time abandoning her bracelet project and pulling out a bag of chips from the craft bin.

"Wow. Harsh." Rory said.

Paris shrugged. "You shouldn't have told me then. I tell the truth."

"But what if it's not my truth?"

"Then your truth is living in a dream world, where fairies and unicorns have babies." Paris grabbed a bottle of water from the desk and started drinking from it.

"Do you think he really loves me?" Rory asked shyly as she picked at the cotton on her pink pajama pants.

Paris rolled her eyes. "Everyone loves you. The pizza guy loves you, the Chinese takeout guy loves you, and some girls probably love you too. You're Rory Gilmore."

Rory laughed. "You know what I mean."

"Truth?" Paris asked.

Rory nodded.

"I think he's sorry that he ever left. And if you're smart, you'll make him earn you back with all the energy he has left."

***

Rory hadn't talked to her mother in two days, and she was dying. After eating some sugary cereal and drinking some bland coffee, Rory dialed the number to the Inn and was delighted to hear her mother's voice answer the phone with a cheery tone.

"Who is this? Rory? I don't know a Rory. I know a Lori…but no Rory." Lorelai paused to make it sound like she was going to hang up, which made Rory laugh.

"Hilarious, really." Rory said.

"Why so glum, chum?" Lorelai asked.

"I'm not glum. I'm perfectly un-glum."

"Your voice sounds weird." Lorelai commented.

"It does not."

"Does too!" Lorelai shouted. "Wait…this doesn't have anything to do with You Know Who does it?"

Lorelai had refused to say Jess' name ever again. As soon as Luke had told her the most recent news, Lorelai had resorted to calling Jess by his new persona, sort of like Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter.

Rory paused before answering, which answered Lorelai's question for her. "Rory! Get over it. Go eat a pop tart! Or better yet, come over and have a movie night with mama."

"This isn't something that can be cured with a movie night." Rory had told her mother, meaning that with all of her heart.

Lorelai mock gasped. "How dare you say that? I think my heart is breaking. I can feel it. I'm dying as we speak. Slowly…dying. Dying…"

"Fine. I'll come over tonight." Rory decided. This was probably exactly what she needed to cheer up. It had always worked before, so why not now?

"Yay!" Lorelai cheered. "I'm proud that I have the coolest daughter in all of the land."

"I wish I could say the same about my mother." Rory shot back.

"I heard that she's the Queen of the land."

"If you're the Queen, then who's the king?" Rory asked kindly.

Lorelai paused. "Just be here at seven, kid."


	3. Chapter 3

Sometimes the only place one can truly feel loved, is their home. The people in it, the things that occupy that space, and the way they feel when they take a seat in their favorite chair, was sometimes all that mattered. Rory knew that going home was a good idea, and as she opened the door with her hands full of books and laundry, she smiled to herself. Her face went from joy to confusion as she took a sniff of the air, and was then filled a feeling of pure curiosity. It smelled like cookies. Not just any cookies, but homemade cookies, the kind that only people that baked knew how to make. Either Lorelai had taken some cooking classes or—

"Rory!" Sookie exclaimed loudly as Rory made her way into the kitchen. Sookie was at the oven, pulling out a fresh batch of chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies. Looking up, Rory semi-glared at her mother. She knew that Lorelai had spilled the beans about Rory's glumness from their afternoon conversation.

"Hey Sookie." Rory said as she slid into the chair across from her room.

"Want a cookie?" she asked, holding the plate inches from Rory's face.

"I don't think I want a cookie." Rory answered.

"Rory." Lorelai said with a condescending look.

Rory suppressed a smile. "Did you bring any mac and cheese?"

Sookie started to giggle with the kind of sound that you just didn't hear anywhere else. "Did I bring any mac and cheese? Silly girl." Sookie made her way back to the counter and unveiled a fresh plate full of cheesy goodness.

After the girls had enjoyed some food and general conversation, they made their way over to the couch to watch a movie. It had only been a few minutes into the film when the doorbell rang. They all looked at each other and Lorelai made the motion of getting up to answer the door. She came back a few minutes later with Luke right behind her. As soon as Rory caught Luke's eye she took a huge gulp of air.

"Hey, Luke." Rory said softly. "What are you doing here?"

Luke held up a bag of ice. "I was summoned."

Rory exhaled and smiled. "You didn't have to do that."

"Oh, but I did. Lorelai started screaming at me on the phone in the middle of the dinner rush. It was either say no and have her blaring in my ear for the next half hour, or say yes and just get it over with." He switched the ice into his other hand.

"Lucas, my hero." Lorelai said, looking at Luke like she was a tiny princess.

Luke rolled his eyes and started to walk into the kitchen. Lorelai soon followed and Rory was left alone on the couch with Sookie. Sookie must have begun to feel awkward, as she was looking at Rory from the corner of her eye.

"It was nice of you to bring food over." Rory suddenly told her.

"Oh, you know. I had so much left over from the inn that…"

"Sookie, please. I know mom told you that I was feeling 'down'." Rory said as she turned her body to face Sookie more.

Sookie rushed to explain. "Okay! She did. But don't be mad. I kept pestering her after she got off the phone to tell me what you had said. And for the record, I completely understand. Someone telling you that they love you is a big thing. But what he did, god…it must have been hard."

Rory looked down at her hands, clearly not wanting to relieve the whole experience.

Sookie looked bashful. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. Just look at the bright side! You can start dating again. New men, new plan. Find yourself a dark, handsome chiseled man." Sookie then realized that the description she just gave was similar to what Jess actually looked like. "I mean…a better one. Just…move on, Rory. It's what we all have to do with anything. Like last week? Jackson told me that I looked fat in this new pink top that I bought. So, I was upset about it for two days and then I said 'Sookie, just move on. Buy a new top.' So I did. Jackson loved it by the way."

Sookie's rambling could kind of relate to Rory's situation. Rory should have just moved on, but the stupid phone call she had made last night made that very difficult. After all, Jess probably knew now that Rory was thinking about what he had told her. It was only a matter of time before they ran into each other again. Lorelai had also blabbed to her that Jess was living with a friend nearby. That thought made her excited and nauseous at the same time.

Lorelai and Luke chose that moment to walk back into the room. Luke looked uncomfortable, like he couldn't wait to leave.

"What were you guys talking about?" Lorelai asked, looking from Sookie to Rory.

"Nothing!" Sookie half shouted, half giggled.

Lorelai gave her a weird look and turned to Luke. "Well, thanks ice man. We shall see you tomorrow."

"You might want to eat somewhere else tomorrow." Luke half whispered.

"Why would we want to do that?"

"You might want to eat somewhere _else._" Luke stressed, looking straight into Lorelai's eyes.

Lorelai caught on a second too late, because by that time, Rory had already heard what was going on. She stood up.

"Why? I mean…why should we eat somewhere else?" Rory asked.

Luke looked like he just wanted to leave already. "Construction."

"Construction?" Rory repeated. "Where?"

"You know, the…ceiling."

Rory looked at him plainly.

"The ceiling has termites."

Rory sighed. "Luke, just tell me the truth. Don't lie, just tell me. When is he coming?"

"Now." Luke said simply.

"He's here now?" Rory said.

"On his way. Look, if you want me to tell him to come in a few days, I'll call him right now."

Rory wanted so badly to give into Luke's suggestion. But, she wanted to move on and not act like a baby anymore. Sookie was right. She had to buy a new top, so to say. Jess was an old top, already worn in. A new top was in order, and she was going to find one.

"That's okay, Luke. It'll be okay."

Luke looked relieved and Lorelai looked proud.

"You hear that Luke?" Lorelai said. "My girl is one of a kind, isn't she?"

Luke nodded. "If only everyone in the world could see that." Luke looked at Rory with love, the way that a father would look at his daughter.

Rory smiled at Luke, thanking him with the same look. She knew that the people standing in this room loved her no matter what happened or how she felt. That was what was so important about going home. Home was the one place where you could be yourself and where you were accepted. No matter what, the people that loved you had your back. That's all that anyone could ever ask for.


	4. Chapter 4

There are times where you just want to be alone. Not because you are sad or lonely, just because.

Rory walked through town, a blue hoodie on her small frame to fight off the brisk air. She felt that today, she would just focus on herself and have a relaxing afternoon. First, she would hit the bookstore. Then after that, the afternoon was free to do whatever she liked. No homework or anything related to school was on the horizon; she figured she would just finish all of her assignments the next day.

Did she know that Jess was going to be there? Probably. Did she go there just because she knew he was going to be there? Surprisingly…no. All she wanted to do was bury herself in a good book.

Rory was still sitting on the ground of the store a half hour later. Jess was farther back doing the same. He hadn't noticed that she was there, and when he got up and walked past her, he had to do a double take.

"Rory?" Jess asked.

Rory looked up, like she was waiting for him to say that. "Oh, hey Jess. What's up?"

He looked at her strangely. "Uh…nothing. Hey, how long have you been here?"

Rory looked at her watch. "30 minutes? I kind of lost track. You?"

"A little longer. Did you know that I was here?"

Rory looked at him. "No."

"Huh."

Rory went back to reading her book, and Jess just stood there for a few minutes looking at her. "Can I ask you something?" Jess asked.

Rory looked up once more. "Sure."

"Were you ever planning on seeing me?"

Rory looked at him and put her book down. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

Jess shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "You call me, tell me that you miss me and haven't talked to me since."

Rory looked shocked. "You hung up on me."

"So?" Jess asked.

"You hung up on me." Rory repeated.

"I repeat…so?"

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me, Jess." Rory stressed.

Jess sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "You called me at three in the morning. I was tired, your voice was soft, and I figured you would call back. But you never did."

Rory shook her head. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Oh, is it?" Jess asked, crossing his arms.

"It is."

"Well if it's so stupid, why did you call me then?"

"You know why." Rory stared at Jess straight in the face.

"Maybe I do."

"If you know, why do you want me to say it?"

Jess smirked. "Humor me."

Rory became frustrated with Jess. Did he think he was funny? This wasn't a joke to her and she didn't want him to think it was a joke either. She knew what she had to do.

"Can't. I'm late." Rory said as she put the book she was reading back on the shelf and got up off the floor, walking passed Jess.

"For what?" Jess asked, turning around to meet Rory's eyes. He was wearing a leather jacket and worn in jeans today. Let's just say that he looked amazing.

"I have a date." Rory said as she left Jess standing in the bookstore _alone._

There was no date, but maybe she should go on one. Rory wanted Jess just to care. She knew that his declaration of love was a form of caring. She just wanted him to actually show her, to _do _something about it. Maybe letting him think that he was alone would wake him up and make him realize that she wanted to let him in. Being alone worked both ways. You can want to be alone, just for solitude. You can also be alone, because someone wanted you to be…for now.


	5. Chapter 5

Rory sat across from Parker, a dark haired cutie from Hartford, and was actually enjoying herself. It was a blind date, something that Rory hardly ever took part in. When Lane had mentioned Parker two days ago, she said that he was definitely the Rory Gilmore Type. She was right: Parker wasn't a bad guy; he was actually nice, well read, and humorous. He made her laugh and when he asked her if she wanted to watch a movie at his apartment, she didn't say no.

Now, don't think for a second that Rory was over Jess. This was just a distraction. When Jess was actually ready for her, she would be there. There was never any question. But for now, this was something she felt she had to do.

Parker lived in a small apartment not too far from the Yale campus. It was actually right in between Stars Hollow and her dorm. She heard that Parker had a roommate, although from what Rory could gather, he was hardly ever there. Parker guided her into the small living space, his hand gently on the small of her back.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Parker asked as Rory went to sit on the couch.

"Coffee?" Rory asked.

"That could be arranged." Parker said with a smile. "Coffee is never too far from my mouth."

Rory laughed. "You too?"

Parker brought two cups of coffee over to the couch where Rory was sitting and sat down next to her, placing the cups on the table in front of them. Rory expected the coffee to taste bland and tasteless, but she was wrong. It was splendid and reminded her of Luke's.

"This coffee tastes amazing." Rory said as she closed her eyes.

"I'm glad you think so." Parker said, his voice turning low. "You know, Rory, I had a great time tonight. It's not often that I meet a girl who reads the same books I do, and drinks coffee like water."

Rory smiled. "I completely agree."

Parker slowly leaned in, and kissed Rory on the lips very softly. Rory didn't love it, but she didn't hate it either. So when she began to embrace what was happening, laying back on the couch with her eyes closed and her arms around Parker's neck, she became oblivious to the fact that the front door had opened and someone had come into the room.

"What the hell? Rory?" the voice shouted, the sound of glass breaking filling the room.


	6. Chapter 6

The sound of glass breaking had been the result of Jess slamming his fist against the kitchen counter hard enough to make a drinking glass topple off the side and fall onto the floor. Jess looked shocked, surprised, and angry.

Rory on the other hand, looked like a deer caught in headlights. She wasn't expecting her night to turn out like this. It seemed like wherever she went lately, Jess followed.

"Rory?" Jess repeated, this time with an even angrier expression on his face.

"Jess?" Rory finally asked, her eyes just now adjusting to the scene in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

Jess took a step toward Rory and Parker. Parker looked confused, his face darting back and forth between both Rory and Jess. "Huh. That's funny. I was wondering the same thing about you."

Rory jumped off the couch and stood in front of Jess. Her facial expression was guilty, ashamed, and just embarrassed. "I was just…"

"You were just making out with my roommate." Jess interrupted, holding his hand up in the air. "Who's a complete ass, by the way."

"Hey!" Parker said.

"Well, you are."

"She's my date, man. Lay off." Parker said, getting defensive.

Jess eyes Parker. "And she was my girlfriend."

"Excuse me?" Rory jumped in, her eyes raised.

"You heard me." Jess said, a husky tone in his voice.

"Yes. I was your girlfriend. A long time ago." Rory said.

"Right." Jess agreed. "It was a long time ago. I guess things change."

"God, Jess! I didn't do anything wrong."

"This isn't wrong to you?" Jess asked, pointing towards the couch.

Rory sighed. "I was just on a blind date. I got carried away."

Jess scoffed. "What? Since when do you ever go on blind dates?"

Rory glared at Jess. "Since Lane told me about Parker. She said he was exactly my type.

"Oh yeah?" Jess asked. "Did she also tell you that he's a lot like me, except more of an ass?"

"Hey!" Parker interrupted. Jess just shot a glare in his direction.

"Well, I'm sure seeing an ass right now. But, it's definitely not him."

Jess clenched his fists. "God, Rory! I hate this."

"Hate what?"

"Seeing you with someone else. Especially my roommate."

"I didn't know he was your roommate. I didn't even know you lived here."

"And, why is that?" Jess asked.

"Because you never told me! I had to get your phone number from Luke. Sorry that all I'm doing is living my life."

"I gave you my address, and my phone number." Jess stated.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." Jess shook his head like he was talking to a five year old girl.

"When?" Rory asked with her arms crossed.

"The night…you know. I uh, slipped it into your jacket pocket." Jess said, acting sheepish.

"You did?" Rory smiled slightly.

Jess nodded.

"I never checked it."

"Check it now."

It just so happened that Rory was wearing the exact same jacket she was wearing that night. So she went over to the couch, grabbed her coat, and dug her hands into the pocket of her jacket. Of course, there was a note in the pocket, with Jess' chicken scratch scrawl all over it. It had his name; his telephone number, address and a note at the bottom that read _now you know where to find me._

Rory sighed. "Oh, Jess. I feel terrible."

"Don't."

"But, I do."

"It's alright." Jess said, shaking his head. "You didn't know."

"How can I make it up to you?"

"Well, this wasn't it." Jess said with a sly smile.

Rory looked sad. "I'm sorry."

Jess cupped Rory's chin with his hands. "Hey. I said it was okay."

Rory looked into his eyes and gave him a smile.

"Do you want to…go somewhere?" Jess asked Rory.

"Where?"

"Just to talk, maybe drink some bad coffee."

"She already drank coffee, idiot." Parker chimed in from the couch.

Jess looked at Parker. "Shut up."

"You can't just come in here and steal my date."

"She was mine before she was ever yours." Jess said to Parker, but he was looking at Rory instead.

"I would love some coffee." Rory said as she put on her jacket.

That night, she left that apartment with the one person she never expected. It felt nice, it felt…normal. Maybe this date was just fates way of making Jess realize how important she was to him.


	7. Chapter 7

Lorelai glared at Rory with both a sense of confusion and disbelief. "You just…talked?"

Rory and Lorelai were sitting at the kitchen table the next morning, eating Pop Tarts and drinking their first cups of coffee for the day. Rory had finally broke down and told Lorelai that she still had feelings for Jess and that last night, they had driven back to Star's Hollow and taken a walk around town, just talking like they were best friends—not that they weren't sneaking shy glances at each other every few minutes or slightly brushing their arms against one another as their faces were illuminated by the nightly glow of the streetlamps.

Rory rolled her eyes after Lorelai's question, shaking her head as she broke off a piece of her Pop Tart. "Yes, we just talked. Nothing happened."

"Rory. You can never just talk with an old boyfriend. It's always awkward and every glance means something. Like 'why did you just brush my arm dude? Does that mean you think I'm pretty and fabulous?' Or does it mean that he just can't walk in a straight line? Oh! Or does it mean that he can't walk in a straight line and he thinks that I'm pretty and fabulous. That's the thing. You can never tell. That's why I think that Jess wants you. He wants you and ALL of you." Lorelai pointed at Rory.

"Gross." Rory said as she took a sip of her coffee.

"It's a little too late to think gross."

"I didn't mean gross. I meant gross we shouldn't talk about it."

Lorelai sighed. "Fine, but you know what I mean."

"Yes, I do. Do I think that it's true? Possibly." Rory got up to rinse her cup out in the sink and when she was finished, the phone rang. She quickly walked passed Lorelai, who had already finished her Pop Tart and had moved on to a stale piece of a breakfast burrito that had been left in the fridge.

Rory picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey." It was Jess. Rory's heart did a somersault in her chest at the sound his voice made through the phone. It was a mixture between rough and smooth, rolled into a tone that sounded like smooth butter.

"Hi."

Rory glanced at Lorelai, who rolled her eyes and started kissing her hand.

"So I've got a book." Jess stated.

Rory smiled. "Oh…the book we talked about?"

"Yeah." Rory could hear him smiling through the phone.

"And where is this book?"

"It's in my apartment. Although I can't seem to find it."

"The book." Rory said.

"Yes. The book." Jess repeated.

"Would you like me to help you look for the book?"

"You could come over and help me look for the book." Jess said.

"Okay." Rory replied, feeling both nervous and excited at the same time.

"Okay." Jess said as he hung up the phone.

Rory stared at the phone for a few seconds before placing the phone back into its cradle. She went back to sit at the kitchen table, across from Lorelai and her breakfast burrito. "I'm going to help Jess look for a book."

"Is that code for you're going to go and kiss each other?"

"No." Rory said immediately.

"It does."

"It does not. He lost a book at his apartment."

"Rory, if the boy can't find a book in a small apartment that is slightly bigger than this kitchen, he is mentally impaired. Now, go and kiss the strange boy. But nothing else. Ta-ta!" Lorelai waved at Rory.

Rory got up and walked around the table. "We are not going to kiss. We are just friends."

Rory strolled out the front door with a smile plastered across her face. Yes, Rory and Jess were just friends. For now. But with a lost book and a small apartment, who knows what could happen?


	8. Chapter 8

Rory drove to Jess' apartment, her hands clutching the steering wheel with pure nervousness and a dollop of excitement. As she parked the car and made her way up the stairs, she was reminded of the day after the dance marathon. That day, she had been both thrilled and a little hesitant at what it would be like to finally be with Jess. Walking up the steps to Luke's apartment had felt just like it felt now—like she was walking into a land that she was familiar with, but would bring her feelings she hadn't quite felt in a long time.

Rory knocked softly on the door to the apartment. It was a moment before Jess answered, a moment that felt like it lasted more than it should have. When Rory saw Jess, her insides felt like pure goo, and her knees felt wobbly, like she was going to fall over at any minute. Jess looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine cover. His dark hair looked soft and freshly washed, his black button down shirt accentuated his taut muscles, and his vintage faded jeans hung loose on his hips. He smelled like a mixture of soap and cologne, and Rory knew that if she could choose only one scent to inhale for the rest of her life, that would be the scent she would pick.

"Hey." Jess said as he opened the door all the way, motioning with his hand for Rory to come in.

"Hi." Rory said as she stepped into the apartment and made her way over to the couch. She couldn't get comfortable and kept fidgeting. She could feel Jess' eyes on her as he made his way over to the couch and started to dig his large hands underneath the cushions.

Rory became startled. What was he doing? Was he trying to touch her or something? Rory wasn't sure. All she knew was that Jess' hands were coming closer and closer to her…bottom. Before he could get there however, his hands reached over her and started searching underneath the other side of the couch. Rory's eyes skimmed the side of Jess' face; her eyes became drawn to his profile and the outline of his lips. She wanted to trace her finger over those lips, and instinctively, her hands reached up towards his face. Before her hand made contact, Jess drew back and placed his hands on his lap.

"I could have sworn I had it when I was sitting here yesterday."

Rory threw Jess a confused look.

"Had what?" Rory asked.

"The book." Jess said, looking at her with a bemused expression.

"What book?" Rory asked.

"Rory. The book I asked you to help me look for."

Rory sat dumbfounded. She had thought the book had been code for, "Come over so I can kiss you until next week." Rory hadn't actually been expecting an actual lost book. When was Jess going to wake up and press his lips to hers? It was all she really wanted, in this moment. She didn't want to talk about books, or obscure music, or anything at all. Rory only wanted a simple kiss. A kiss that would validate the feelings that were pouring out of her heart, and also the ones that were radiating from her body.

"Oh." Rory said simply.

"It had a red cover, sort of like a maroon? Do you see it?" Jess said as he stood up and began to search his various stacks of books on the floor.

Rory just looked around dismissively. After a few minutes, she spotted a small book hidden under the leg of the coffee table, one that reminded her of a journal she used to write in as a young girl. Lorelai had found it in a dollar bin, insisting that Rory would need it to write her "pretty dreams and big girl goals."

She pulled the book out from underneath the table, making the table slant and go uneven. Rory waved the book in the air and said, "Did I find it?"

Jess looked up and slightly smirked. "Huh. I guess you did. I should have you over here more often." He got up and walked towards her. He took a seat next to her once again.

Rory suddenly became irritated. The "book" Jess wanted to find was completely blank on the front and didn't even have a title. Why was an untitled book so important? She got the feeling that she should go. Nothing was going to happen tonight and she felt stupid for even thinking that there was a chance.

"I…should go." Rory said as she made her way to the door.

Jess just got up and followed her. "Why?"

"Because you found your book. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?" She looked deep into his eyes. Instead of seeing understanding, she saw nothing but devilish amusement and a slight fire in his eyes.

"Yes, I wanted you to find the book." Jess said, stepping closer to Rory. "I wanted you to find the book, because there was no way I wanted to find the book. Open it."

Jess went and picked the red book off the coffee table and handed it to Rory. Rory looked at him with wonder, opening the book with curiosity. In Jess' messy handwriting, _Day One _was scribbled on the top of the page and in the middle a sentence was written very small, and Rory had to strain her eyes to make out what it said. Once she did however, she blushed and smiled at the same time. You don't need to know what the book said. It wasn't an "I love you" or even a romantic poem. It was a simple instruction; one that Rory fully took part in at that precise moment. She threw the book down, not even bothering to look at what was written on the other pages. But, she would, in time.

Now, she took two steps towards Jess and kissed him, really kissed him, with all of the energy she had left inside of her. Rory could feel Jess smile as she kissed him, and she sighed with content when he wrapped his arms around her and ran his hands though her hair. She would remember this moment forever—the feeling of Jess' lips against hers, the first page of the book, and the simple smell of soap. Soap. It was one of the scents she would always associate with him.


	9. Chapter 9

If you were curious, the first page of the book had simply said, "_Kiss me." _In fact, the whole book was filled with instructions like this. Some pages were cliché activities, such as ride a Ferris wheel, go for ice cream, or ride in the car with the windows down. Other pages were blank, to be filled in later. Jess kept the book in his possession, so Rory wouldn't peek at what was to come. Why was Jess doing this? Jess wasn't quite sure himself. He knew that what he felt for Rory was real and true and would never go away. He knew that he wanted to be the kind of guy Rory wanted to be with for the rest of his life, which entails, that he do something romantic for her. The book was his way of doing so. Each page was something they would conquer together. As they worked their way through the various pages of the book, their love would grow even stronger. And what was on the last page? Well, that was just a surprise.

"Jess wrote you a book?" Lorelai asked Rory as they walked to Luke's.

Rory shook her head. "It wasn't a novel or anything. It was a book with pages full of activities to do together. Although, he wouldn't let me see what they were."

"Dirty!"

"Mom!" Rory said. "Not those kind of activities."

"I thought you were in loveeeeee." Lorelai said, stretching the word out.

"We are. We just haven't…"

"Don't look so mortified, kid. I was just kidding. You know, that's what I do."

"I know." Rory said. "It's just…this is all surreal to me. I've loved him for so long and now we're together again."

"I know." Agreed Lorelai.

"I want you to like him."

"I like him."

"Fine. I want you to love him." Rory said.

"That might take a while."

"Mom."

"I'll try."

"That's a start."

"But, you know. If you guys ever, you know. I'll have to kill him." Lorelai said with a smile in her eye.

"If you kill him, you'll kill a little part of me."

"Which part?"

"The part of me that loves you." Rory said with a giggle.

"You would stop loving your mother because she killed your boyfriend?"

"Yes, yes I would."

"Well, aren't you a meanie today?" Lorelai put on a sad face.

"Says the women who wants to kill my boyfriend."

Rory smiled as they strolled into Luke's, sat at the counter, and waited for their cups of coffee.


End file.
